1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the preparation of predominatly linear polyethylenepolyamines from the starting reagents of ethylenediamine and monoethanolamine in the presence of unique catalyst compositions comprising zirconium silicate having a compound of phosphorous deposited thereon.
2. Prior Art
Heretofore, polyethylenepolyamine compounds such as diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine and the higher homologs have been produced by the reaction of an alkyl halide such as ethylene dichloride with an amine such as ammonia or ethylenediamine at elevated temperatures and pressures. Normally, relatively high yields of predominatly non-cyclic polyethylenepolyamine compounds are obtained from this process with varying yields of heterocyclic amines. The large amounts of energy required to produce the reactants as well as the difficult separation procedures required to recover the more valuable linear polyethylenepolyamines diminish the usefulness of the ethylene dichloride process. The hydrohalide salts of ammonia and the polyethylenepolyamine products must also undergo difficult and time consuming caustic neutralization to yield the free polyethylenepolyamines.
It has heretofore been known that phosphates can be used to catalyse reactions to produce predominately heterocyclic rather than linear products. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,701 teaches the use of aluminum phosphate to catalyse the reaction of ethanolamines and polyethylenepolyamines to yield cyclic compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,820 discloses the use of aluminum phosphate for the preparation of heterocyclic compounds such as triethylenediamine. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,087 also discloses the use of aluminum phosphate catalysts for producing heterocyclic product compounds.
More recently, investigators have found that more linear products can also be obtained in a catalytic conversion. Thus, Ford et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,840 discloses the preparation of polyalkylenepolyamines from ethylene diamine utilizing a metal nitrate or sulfate as a catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,083 discloses the reaction of ethylene diamine with monoethanolamine to prepare noncyclic polyalkylenepolyamines using, as a catalyst, a salt of a nitrogen or sulfur-containing compound.
In more recent inventions made in our laboratories, Brennan et. al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,881 discloses the use of phosphorous-containing catalysts to catalyze the reaction of ethylenediamine with monoethanolamine. Excellent results were obtained when the reaction was conducted in an autoclave. However, when the phosphorous compound was supported on silica or diatomaceos earth, good results were obtained only at comparatively low conversions. Brennan et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,053 is also relevant in this regard. A recently filed Brennan copending application Ser. No. 283,713, filed July 16, 1981 (now abandoned) and entitled "Preparation of Linear Polyethylenepolyamines With an Aluminum Phosphate Catalyst" is directed to an aluminum phosphate catalyst. Excellent results were obtained using a catalyst of this nature in batch-type reactions. Brennan U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,087 discloses the use of pelleted aluminum phosphate to prepare di-(N,N-disubstituted amino)alkanes.
French Pat. No. 1,317,359 dated Feb. 8, 1963, discloses the preparation of granulated zirconium phosphate and its use as an ion-exchange resin. Winkler et al. in a 1966 publication [Deutsche Akad. Wiss., Berlin, Germany, Z. Anorg. Allgen. Chem. 346 (1-2), 92-112 (1966)] disclose compounds of the general formula HX.sup.v P.sub.2 O.sub.3 wherein X represents arsenic, antimony and mixtures thereof. Also disclosed are compounds of the general formula H.sub.2 X.sup.iv P.sub.2 O.sub.3, wherein X represents silicon, germanium, tin, lead, titanium and zirconium. It is shown that the group IV phosphates have cation exchange properties.
Daniel Br. Apcn. 2,092,467 pub. Aug. 18, 1982, modifies iron phosphate catalysts disclosed in Cavaterra U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,959 for making methacrylic acid from isobutyric acid. Daniel uses such catalysts in admixture with a support prepared by calcining the dried powder recovered from a slurry of silica with phosphoric acid. Daniel teaches that the support is inert and that titania or zirconia can also be used.